Related
As usual
i presume NoteII use the same variant of Wolfson seen in SGSIII
knights.JayTana said:
As usual
i presume NoteII use the same variant of Wolfson seen in SGSIII
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It better and if memory serves me right, the Yamaha in the Note I sounded better than the one in the GS2, because the Note was larger. Let's hope for Wolfson with even better sound than the GS3, due to more room in the Note II.
Thank You for making this thread
Edit: Yes. I've just received confirmation from an anonymous source, that it has a WM1811
..
Can't wait!
Cool!
Sound Quality should be quiet decent with Wolfson WM1811.
https://twitter.com/supercurio/status/242625984879280128
Just pre-ordered my Note 2, will post impressions on SQ when it arrives, as per usual
Hoping to get some time with it before retail release too, but don't know how that will pan out.
NZtechfreak said:
Just pre-ordered my Note 2, will post impressions on SQ when it arrives, as per usual
Hoping to get some time with it before retail release too, but don't know how that will pan out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ç
As an iPhone 4S owner that listens thru high end iems i'm really looking forward to your impressiones. Especially now that iPhone 5 has turned out to be a slight step back over 4/4S. It might be time for switching...
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_ii-review-824p8.php
"Audio output is perfectly clean, but on the quiet side
The Samsung Galaxy Note II obviously shares many of its music playback-related internals with the Galaxy S III as it managed to aced our audio quality test in a similar manner to its more compact sibling.
The only average volume levels aside, the Galaxy Note II results came out perfect in the first part of our test. When connected to an active external amplifier, the phablet produces excellently clean output with no weak points whatsoever.
Even more impressively, stereo crosstalk is the only thing to get damaged when we plugged in a pair of headphones. On that occasion the Note II produced one of the cleanest outputs we have seen from a mobile device and that includes the recently tested Apple iPhone 5."
The volume levels are worrying. I figure a large device like this with all it's juice should be able to drive most off the shelf earphones well.
I have the S3 and it is ok, but still the 4S beats it for music playback. And still no Voodoo for the S3.
In any event I've ordered the Note and I suppose if it is not what I hope for it will be easy to sell quickly.
got mine today
an improvement in sound quality compared with the Note 1 but not very impressed with maximum loudness with earphones (Monster Turbine Coppers)
The Loudspeaker is a massive improvement and is nearly as loud as my macbook pro 15!!
msx999 said:
got mine today
an improvement in sound quality compared with the Note 1 but not very impressed with maximum loudness with earphones (Monster Turbine Coppers)
The Loudspeaker is a massive improvement and is nearly as loud as my macbook pro 15!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why we need VooDoo... Hope Supercurio will do that...
@gsmarena REVIEW OF THE GALAXY NOTE II
Audio output is perfectly clean, but on the quiet side
The Samsung Galaxy Note II obviously shares many of its music playback-related internals with the Galaxy S III as it managed to aced our audio quality test in a similar manner to its more compact sibling.
The only average volume levels aside, the Galaxy Note II results came out perfect in the first part of our test. When connected to an active external amplifier, the phablet produces excellently clean output with no weak points whatsoever.
Even more impressively, stereo crosstalk is the only thing to get damaged when we plugged in a pair of headphones. On that occasion the Note II produced one of the cleanest outputs we have seen from a mobile device and that includes the recently tested Apple iPhone 5. The higher volume levels of iOS flagship would probably still make it a slightly better option for audiophiles, though.
ama3654 said:
@gsmarena REVIEW OF THE GALAXY NOTE II
Audio output is perfectly clean, but on the quiet side
The Samsung Galaxy Note II obviously shares many of its music playback-related internals with the Galaxy S III as it managed to aced our audio quality test in a similar manner to its more compact sibling.
The only average volume levels aside, the Galaxy Note II results came out perfect in the first part of our test. When connected to an active external amplifier, the phablet produces excellently clean output with no weak points whatsoever.
Even more impressively, stereo crosstalk is the only thing to get damaged when we plugged in a pair of headphones. On that occasion the Note II produced one of the cleanest outputs we have seen from a mobile device and that includes the recently tested Apple iPhone 5. The higher volume levels of iOS flagship would probably still make it a slightly better option for audiophiles, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried one in store yesterday. The audio thru my Westone UM3x was quite decent but i could not assess the output power properly since i don't know the intrinsic loudness of the preloaded tune.
The usual Android background hiss was there and switching back and forth with an S3 running ICS it had the same level. Thus that rumours about Jelly Bean improving the audio engine have not turned out to be fulfilled for the moment.
Overall i'd rate is a 3.5-4 star headphone out (Out of 5) depending on the output power. Still not on par with the iPhone 4/4S (which is the benchmark for handset headphone outs) but it's an step in the right direction. Linearity was pretty damn good
It's early days with my note 2 but I have power-amp installed & so far I'm finding the S3 sounds better, maybe the Note 2 DAC needs running a bit.
Hopefully then It'll be just as good
The FM radio still has the horrid back ground hiss & buzz that is present on the S3. This is a little disappointing.
Got mine yesterday, sound quality is good but low which is absolutely not to my liking.
hagba said:
Got mine yesterday, sound quality is good but low which is absolutely not to my liking.
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Click to collapse
It would help to assess the output power if users quote the headphones they are using. In order to discern which sensivity & impedance are no gos with that handset.
Remember that the UK and European Union have laws that limit the headphone volume (Volume Limit Cap) in music players and mobile phones.. That is why the headphone volume of these EU notes are quieter than the US phones.
Viper2005 said:
Remember that the UK and European Union have laws that limit the headphone volume (Volume Limit Cap) in music players and mobile phones.. That is why the headphone volume of these EU notes are quieter than the US phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my sansa clip (R.I.P ) it was possible to change it in the settings.
Can it be done here to?
DubelBoom said:
On my sansa clip (R.I.P ) it was possible to change it in the settings.
Can it be done here to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is anybody using balanced armature iems experiencing low sound pressure levels ?
As for UE regulations it seems that they do not apply to Apple. iPhone 4S can go really really loud. And my old iPhone 3GS cpuld as well.
Why is it Samsung caps the headphone out and Apple does not ?
Just received my AT&T note 3... first thing I noticed right away, before even comparing it to my I9500 S4, is how terrible the speakers sounded! I then whipped out my S4 and sure enough the speakers are actually WORSE on the Note 3 than on the S4... this is really disappointing!! Even my Note 2 had better speakers than the S4 so to hear this note 3 with even worse speakers than S4 is just sickening...
Cool story bro.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
JoJo2211 said:
Just received my AT&T note 3... first thing I noticed right away, before even comparing it to my I9500 S4, is how terrible the speakers sounded! I then whipped out my S4 and sure enough the speakers are actually WORSE on the Note 3 than on the S4... this is really disappointing!! Even my Note 2 had better speakers than the S4 so to hear this note 3 with even worse speakers than S4 is just sickening...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been pretty much brought up by everyone. I agree, very disappointing, and yes I do use the speakers often. I travel a lot for work and will use the phone in the bathroom while showering/getting ready, speakerphone for con calls, etc.
Mine sounds perfectly fine. You got a special edition that has more than one speaker?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4
americasteam said:
Mine sounds perfectly fine. You got a special edition that has more than one speaker?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it came with dual speakers it would sound better, I think.
JoJo2211 said:
If it came with dual speakers it would sound better, I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touche.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4
My speakerphone distorts on any volume 75% or higher. I will be exchanging my phone at AT&T as soon as they get a black one in stock which is on its way to the store.
I am hoping the replacement resolves the distortion/crackling sound.
Daniel
Does anyone actually purchase a cell phone for the audiophilia of the onboard speakers?
Banggugyangu said:
Does anyone actually purchase a cell phone for the audiophilia of the onboard speakers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No but it SHOULD be better than the PREVIOUS version of the phone it is replacing. Right?
If it weren't for notifications and ringtones, I wouldn't even know my phone HAD an external speaker... And you can EQ the speaker to sound better (or worse, whichever you prefer).
i do wish it had a better speaker. mine, too, distorts over 75%. i use the phone speaker and it seems silly that a flagship device not spring for a little better speaker.
Banggugyangu said:
Does anyone actually purchase a cell phone for the audiophilia of the onboard speakers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I do purchase phones to talk on, and I often use the speakerphone to talk. So yeah, speaker quality is non-trivial to me. But with that said, at least mine is at least as good or better than the Note 1 that it replaced. Not great, or even good, but passable as long as I'm not trying to understand what's on the other end while in a loud place. But it would be nice to have a loud, clear speaker, for once, that was usable in more situations.
Man I can't STRESS this enought but these speakers a JOKE. I just got a message on my Note 3 and it sounded like it came from a TIN CAN. My S4 makes a more manlier sound than this JOKE of a speaker. I love the phone though, just wish they IMPROVED on the speaker from the LAST generation of the note line (note 2).
Speaker rating:
Note 2 > Note 1 > S4 > S3 > Note 3
Note 3 sux THAT much.
Since I use my phone for business use, including as a speaker phone in a conference with other coworkers, a phone with a bad speaker is a no go for me. Looks like I will need to pass on the Note 3 and keep using the Note II.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk now Free
This has been discussed (to death) in the international forum. The N3's speaker is just as loud as the N2's and SGS4's. Those other two phones, especially the N2, do have more detail.
Here's my N2 taping a video playing playing on my N3 and vice versa. It's the same TV show (Modern Family) being played back on my cable company's video app minutes apart. Both phones are at max volume. The N3's flat on its back on a desk and the N2 is propped up in a Seidio kickstand case because it can't lie flat on its back without hobbling its audio. The recording distance is the same.
N2 recording N3
N3 recording N2
Speakerphone loudness test
From GSMArena...
A loudspeaker that is nice and... well, loud, is a nice asset for your mobile. Whether it's hearing the other person on the speakerphone or your phone ringing from the other room, or even playing music on your get-together's, a loud speaker is definitely something that's nice to have. And while the quality of the loudspeaker sound is difficult to measure and is for the most part a subjective matter, we can effectively measure how loud it is. For this, we use a digital noise/loudness meter which measures the peak loudness of the phones and tablets we review, in decibels (dB). We do our tests in a soundproof studio taking measurements with the handset loudspeaker facing the loudness meter at a distance of exactly 1 m. For each test we make several consecutive measurements - we usually disregard the highest readings and take the lowest of the maximum values, as that's least likely to have been misread. We test three different types of audio samples for three different scenarios:
A phone ringing. For the first part of the test we use a ringtone which resembles the ringing of an old rotary phone, because it seems that most phones do well when we use it.
Pink noise. Next we try a sample of pink noise. Our readings with it are pretty indicative on how well the handset loudspeaker can play most music.
Human voice, male. This is an important test, since if you tend the use the loudspeaker for speakerphone purposes, loudness is really important, regardless of whether you are in the conference room or in your car.
Once we have the results in db for all three sound samples, we sum them up and use a in-house developed formula to produce a qualitative description of the loudness levels: Below Average, Average, Good, Very Good and Excellent. As many of our results are separated by a difference of only a few decibels, it is important to keep in mind that the decibel is a logarithmic unit, which means that a reading of +3dB represents roughly two times the power. We'd like to reiterate again that this test is not about the quality of the sound produced by the loudspeaker. A mild, relatively deep-sounding loudspeaker that soothes the ear won't do well in this test. Instead, what we are after is pure peak loudness - it's our hunt for the loudest phone, ever.
And here are the results. What’s ironic is the N3 is better than most newer smartphones and the best selling smartphone in the world, the iP5/s.
And the editorial...
Note 3
We put the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 through our loudspeaker test and were pleased with the results. It's extremely loud and even managed to slightly top the HTC One's dual front speakers. While the One produces deeper sound the Galaxy Note 3 is louder.
Note II
We also ran our traditional loudspeaker test on the Note II. It scored a good all-round mark, meaning more often than not you'll hear it, save for the noisiest environments.
SGS4
It's extremely loud and even managed to slightly top the HTC One's dual front speakers. While the One produces deeper sound the Galaxy S4 is louder.Conclusion?
Objectively, and without doubt, raw output wise the N3's external speaker is equal to the N2 and SGS4's. Subjectively, and with great debate, the quality of that sound isn't as good as the N2 and SGS4's.
Hmm, this is weird, because I had my Note 2 all kinds of tweaked out, and though it was louder with aftermarket kernel and mods, I definitely hear more clarity in the Note 3 speaker... Did they change sound card manufacturers?
No complaints from me...
The headphone output is DEF improved over the Note 2...
OK, please take this conversation to the sticky thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2466099
So, I download the same songs on both devices (same source)
I have the International Version of the Note 2 n7100
and I have the Canadian Version of the Note 3 Snapdragon
My headphones are JVC HA-FXT90 ( http://www.head-fi.org/products/jvc-ha-fxt90 )
I set the volume to 10 on both devices... and I do the snap test near the ear to see if I can here the snap
on the note 2 I can't hear the snap or claps
Note 3 I am disappointed being such a premium device with a high price the sound via the headphones is not where it should be.
ANyone else feel that way? I know there is posts about speakers etc.. but this is just about the headphone out only.
habs101 said:
So, I download the same songs on both devices (same source)
I have the International Version of the Note 2 n7100
and I have the Canadian Version of the Note 3 Snapdragon
My headphones are JVC HA-FXT90 ( http://www.head-fi.org/products/jvc-ha-fxt90 )
I set the volume to 10 on both devices... and I do the snap test near the ear to see if I can here the snap
on the note 2 I can't hear the snap or claps
Note 3 I am disappointed being such a premium device with a high price the sound via the headphones is not where it should be.
ANyone else feel that way? I know there is posts about speakers etc.. but this is just about the headphone out only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope mine sound pretty dam good to me
jaythenut said:
nope mine sound pretty dam good to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are u comparing it to the note 2?
habs101 said:
are u comparing it to the note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep using poweramp
jaythenut said:
Yep using poweramp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeh that is weird.. I need to go in store and try a different note 3 and see if it just mine..
habs101 said:
So, I download the same songs on both devices (same source)
I have the International Version of the Note 2 n7100
and I have the Canadian Version of the Note 3 Snapdragon
My headphones are JVC HA-FXT90 ( http://www.head-fi.org/products/jvc-ha-fxt90 )
I set the volume to 10 on both devices... and I do the snap test near the ear to see if I can here the snap
on the note 2 I can't hear the snap or claps
Note 3 I am disappointed being such a premium device with a high price the sound via the headphones is not where it should be.
ANyone else feel that way? I know there is posts about speakers etc.. but this is just about the headphone out only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you complaining about the audio quality (as most people will be assuming), or do you mean it doesn't play loud enough to drain out outside noise? The Note 3 audio quality seems excellent, as you can also read in the gsmarena review, accompanied by beautiful graphs etc. The output level of the audio jack is on the low side, depending on the recording. Hope this answers your question.
Damn... yes my note 3 sound very very good.
And it is clearly superior to my old note 2, but a lot of people have a different opinion.
Inviato dal mio SM-N9005 con Tapatalk
Ettepetje said:
Are you complaining about the audio quality (as most people will be assuming), or do you mean it doesn't play loud enough to drain out outside noise? The Note 3 audio quality seems excellent, as you can also read in the gsmarena review, accompanied by beautiful graphs etc. The output level of the audio jack is on the low side, depending on the recording. Hope this answers your question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, when using the note 2 + headphones at volume 10 it drains outside noise with my headphones
When using the note 3 + the same headphones and same track.... to get the same effect I have to have the volume at 13..
it seems the via the headphones the note 3 is not as good as the note 2
habs101 said:
Yes, when using the note 2 + headphones at volume 10 it drains outside noise with my headphones
When using the note 3 + the same headphones and same track.... to get the same effect I have to have the volume at 13..
it seems the via the headphones the note 3 is not as good as the note 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To not ruin your ears I would suggest some closed headphones or good in-ear earphones. At my office me and several of my colleagues use some inexpensive Sennheiser HD201's, which are excellent for this. I would prefer using some high end head phones, like I have at home, but the best ones are not closed (so everything can be heard by you and people hear what you are listening to).
while i agree that note 2 sounded better than note 3, it didnt do so out of the box.
i had a custom firmware with a custom kernel supporting direct control and optimization for the wolfson dac in exyos note 2.
out of the box note 2 sounded lame.
note 3 snapdragon version isnt as good as custom kernel note 2 but with a lot of playing around with equalizer it does sound good (not great though)
i should point out that i have 9 IEMs and 7 full size cans including he400 hd650 and LCD 2 (version 1) with a few fiio amps/dacs and one top end burson audio dac/amp combo, so my views might be biased.
to the OP:
root your phone and install this:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2470890 (for snapdragon sm-n9005 only, exynos has a different version)
i recommend the moderate version. the audio will be plenty loud enough and speaker will be very loud as well
Hello all. Just recently purchased the Note 3 (upgraded from a Nexus 4, which was an upgrade from a Motorola Atrix) and one of the things that I've been missing is good audio quality. At the moment, the best sound from any mobile device in my experience was that of the Atrix running CM7.2. Yes, it even beat the original Galaxy i9000 with the Wolfson chip, and even all of the iPhones. To this day I don't know what the DAC was that was running off of the Atrix's Tegra core.
Anyway, the Nexus 4's audio was... forgettable. Samsung did a good job with the Note 3, unfortunately the volume levels are still poor. Much improved from the Nexus 4, but still nowhere near where I would like it to be.
For comparison, I mostly listen to my music on a FiiO X3, although I don't like that the X3 can't read HE-AAC v2 (fantastic compression, especially for audio books), and the X3 doesn't have Last.FM scrobbling features. I still use it since the Wolfson chip really delivers and it sounds beautiful.
Software-wise on the N9005, the N9005 built in player delivers the best playback options. WinAmp sounds okay, but PowerAMP actually performs worse. Enabling the effects in PowerAMP and the volume... goes down? Weird. So the built-in player and the DSP effects are really great, except for the volume levels.
The volume of the FiiO X3 goes from 0-60. The Note 3 goes from 0-15. The X3's volume at 30 (half) is almost the same as the Note 3 on MAX volume!
Now I'm not expecting the Note 3 to have the same power as the X3, but I feel like it could at least go a further 20% more.
Anyway, I'd appreciate any tips or recommendations will be most appreciated!
The.Opethian said:
Hello all. Just recently purchased the Note 3 (upgraded from a Nexus 4, which was an upgrade from a Motorola Atrix) and one of the things that I've been missing is good audio quality. At the moment, the best sound from any mobile device in my experience was that of the Atrix running CM7.2. Yes, it even beat the original Galaxy i9000 with the Wolfson chip, and even all of the iPhones. To this day I don't know what the DAC was that was running off of the Atrix's Tegra core.
Anyway, the Nexus 4's audio was... forgettable. Samsung did a good job with the Note 3, unfortunately the volume levels are still poor. Much improved from the Nexus 4, but still nowhere near where I would like it to be.
For comparison, I mostly listen to my music on a FiiO X3, although I don't like that the X3 can't read HE-AAC v2 (fantastic compression, especially for audio books), and the X3 doesn't have Last.FM scrobbling features. I still use it since the Wolfson chip really delivers and it sounds beautiful.
Software-wise on the N9005, the N9005 built in player delivers the best playback options. WinAmp sounds okay, but PowerAMP actually performs worse. Enabling the effects in PowerAMP and the volume... goes down? Weird. So the built-in player and the DSP effects are really great, except for the volume levels.
The volume of the FiiO X3 goes from 0-60. The Note 3 goes from 0-15. The X3's volume at 30 (half) is almost the same as the Note 3 on MAX volume!
Now I'm not expecting the Note 3 to have the same power as the X3, but I feel like it could at least go a further 20% more.
Anyway, I'd appreciate any tips or recommendations will be most appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There a re a couple of sound boost mods around, but most distort it quite badly IMO.
VIPER4 is probably the better one to choose if you are rooted.
Any words if the Note4 speaker is louder and have more bass than the Note3 speaker?
I'm hoping the speaker is at least as good as the Note2 speaker... if that's the case it's time to upgrade my Note2. If not I might hang on to my Note2 yet another year.
hahahahahaha your username. oh dear god. horrible, awful memories.
but i heard the speaker at best buy. it's pretty tinny sounding. nothing that viper4android can't fix though!
Any words if the Note4 speaker is louder and have more bass than the Note3 speaker?<br />
<br />
I'm hoping the speaker is at least as good as the Note2 speaker... if that's the case it's time to upgrade my Note2. If not I might hang on to my Note2 yet another year.<br/
I have a note 2 and I went to best buy and checked out the note 4. Speaker sound was even better than my Note 2.
Tubgirl said:
Any words if the Note4 speaker is louder and have more bass than the Note3 speaker?
I'm hoping the speaker is at least as good as the Note2 speaker... if that's the case it's time to upgrade my Note2. If not I might hang on to my Note2 yet another year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortanetelly I can't tell you regarding the bass but according to two or three reviewers is definitely louder.
It sounded pretty loud when I heard it playing a video
i can attest that its louder but it gets distorted at max level. simply there is no upgrade in clarity or fidelity in comparison to older models.
Played with it yesterday can tell you its definitely louder than the note 3 speaker and sounds more bassy imo
At BB guy had note 3 and note 4 side by side, max vol and playing through notification sounds....note 4 was definitely louder! Noticably so...looking forward to the improved volume.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
So conflicted. After moving from Samsung to the M8, I've gotten so spoiled when it comes to sound. Not sure if I should go for the Note 4, but that screen is so tantalizing. Heck, even the iPhone 6 is tempting me these days, until I read the specs again, and then I just can't justify the price any more.
Oh well, I guess I'll just buy the Note 4 and then decide which to keep.
RCJ89 said:
Played with it yesterday can tell you its definitely louder than the note 3 speaker and sounds more bassy imo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks... maybe it's the same speaker as on the Note2 since it's been moved back to the rear side of the phone?
I never purchased the Note3 due to the speaker being worse than on my Note2.
Tubgirl said:
Thanks... maybe it's the same speaker as on the Note2 since it's been moved back to the rear side of the phone?
I never purchased the Note3 due to the speaker being worse than on my Note2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not think it is the same speaker as the note 2, as that was one hell of a great speaker. What I can say it is noticeably louder than the note 3,and quite possibly louder than the note 2. The note 2 to me has a "deeper" sound, and the note 4 doesn't quite get to that level of bass. Much more clarity than the note 2 and 3. I think with Viper4android or any other speaker and sound mods on xda, the note 4 could have the best speaker of all samsung phones (despite my dislike for the back positioning)
I really like my note 2 speaker. I hope the note 4 will be better. Planning to get one next week.
Speaker comparisons
The Note4 speaker is the only thing I'm not convinced is an upgrade over my great Note2 speaker that can sound good at max volume while the two times I tested out the Note4 its speaker sounded terrible at max volume (while it sounds louder the quality of sound from the Note4 seems worse-definitely at max volume but didn't test extensively on lower volumes where it may be comparable or perhaps even an upgrade as long as the volume is more regulated than the Note2 that typically sounds good on all volumes). I did notice the Note4 speakers sound good with certain high quality recordings like certain 1080p movie trailers while other YouTube videos sound significantly less enjoyable. Of course I do have various bluetooth speakers but I'd like not to have to carry them when I want to show something to a few people when mobile. The Note3 speaker was so bad it was a deal breaker for me so I didn't get it (definitely seemed worse than the Note2 speaker) but I hope not to have to wait for the Note5 for decent speakers so please owners-reviewers let us know your experience with the Note4 speaker vs Note2&3 speakers & I hope Samsung focuses more on speaker quality next time as it's such a great multimedia handset otherwise.
Below were my comments after the first time with a Note4 at BestBuy (2nd time was last night) in response to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VArmujW0hEI:
I finally had a chance to see the Note4 in person at BestBuy on Oct 1 (just after I saw the iPhone 6/+Plus again for my dad & left even more unimpressed with the iPhone6s) while the Note4 screen is stunning. It is so much brighter & crisper with pleasing colors (not so obviously oversaturated in a nauseating artificial cartoony way as in some prior amoled displays) compared to my dimmer 720p Note 2 but also the comparatively duller iPhone 6 screens I'd just seen.
The camera shots ability to zoom in the 16MP photos was amazing so in that sense more pixels really is helpful compared to iPhone's 8 MP & the quality was excellent although some shots looked hazy yet the lighting was not great at the time so will need to keep testing. The front facing 3.7 MP camera may be too wide angle for many potential uses but you can adjust the modes some it seems.
I too had been obsessing somewhat on the slow mo quality & not having sound like the iPhone (although I tested slow mo quickly on iPhone6+ & the sound recording was weak but still better than no sound). I remember the slow motion & fast motion video options on my Note2 was fun (before the iPhone had slow mo) but Samsung hasn't really advanced much there (although slow motion now seems FHD where only fast motion was FHD on my note2). My Note2 also had many of the same video effects like cartoonify but noticed other cool ones like Oil Pastel & Moody etc that should be fun along with its dual camera mode (like the Note 3 but with better cameras) recording both the front & rear facing camera simultaneously that I'll likely use more than a slow mo that still records without any sound in Note2,3,4.. maybe Note5 will have slow motion audio capture with front facing speakers..
I'm disappointed that Samsung does not focus more on sound as while the Note4 speaker is very loud at max volume it sounds terrible requiring a volume lowering to sound acceptable while my Note 2 speaker is solid mostly even at max volume & the Note 3 speaker was so bad I couldn't "downgrade" to it. Samsung is more known for their display technology than sound technology but I was hoping for at least as good as my Note2 speaker & I'm not convinced it is although it is definitely louder but I wouldn't keep it at higher volumes due to sounding so strained & unpleasing. Note 4 speaker is definitely better than the Note3 speaker where it was a deal breaker for me but Samsung should do better. Also noticed the iPhone 6 no longer has 2 speakers like in the iPhone 5s rather one smaller speaker at the bottom in the new thinner iPhones that seemed unimpressive but don't remember distortion at loud volumes like with the Note 4 so would recommend staying away from those louder volume settings when avoidable in the Note4. The Nexus 6 is supposed to have dual front facing stereo speakers so curious about it & its other specs but don't know yet if it will have removable battery functionality like the Note line. I simply pop in a new inexpensive replaceable battery on my Note2 daily & thus no need to be a wall hugger like iPhoners (or no longer have to put up with so called "range anxiety" that many current electric car owners describe).
The Note 4 feels much more dense & solid in the hand like a weapon compared to plastic making it feel more premium but no longer get that feather light feeling that some may be used to. BestBuy only had the white model which is better looking with metal frame+accents & more premium feeling than the noticeably taller white iPhone 6 Plus. I'd like to see the Note4 in black like my Note2 but the display definitely pops on the white display with its metal accents yet I'm still leaning toward black with cases to change its looks (typically get http://www.seidioonline.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4-surface-kickstand-case-black-p/csr3ssgt4k-bk.htm (plus removable http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EVFO1G ) but may get http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MAWQKIW & open to suggestions as cases have spared me from damage. After seeing this drop test I'm considering a screen protector for its gorgeous screen but previously have preferred naked gorilla glass screens with cases providing a protective barrier lip from direct (but admittedly not indirect angle hits).
What's ridiculous is that BestBuy can not manage to supply consistent wifi so during the 2 hours of testing had about 8 minutes of WiFi to stream 1080p content on YouTube & no chance to stream 4K YouTube content. Because it was in display mode it would (eventually) see my android tether but would not connect to it. I mentioned to the Samsung rep that if BestBuy can't manage to provide WiFi to them that Samsung should supply their own private WiFi to properly showcase-sell Samsung products otherwise many people just walk away frustrated.
I'm hoping when I go back to BestBuy I'll be able to properly test whether 480p-720p-1080p content looks worse upscaled on a 2K screen of the Note4 compared to Note3's native 1080p screen or Note2's native 720p screen. Most of my & YouTube's videos are 480p-720p-1080p & not yet 4K so would like someone to try to settle the debate of whether the Note4's native 2K display is a less practical resolution for legacy videos despite its brighter more vivid display..
Look forward to checking it out again soon..
Update: On my 2nd visit last night I was able to stream 4K YouTube videos which was cool but not mind blowing on the 2K screen (native 4K recording on its screen seemed more impressive to me visually for some reason maybe because it was self enpowering & less passive) & in limited tests upscaled 480p-720p-1080p didn't look problematic but did not have the opportunity to do side by side testing where native resolutions matching content without upscaling typically looks best (e.g. blow up lower resolution photos to a higher resolution & it looks less sharp) so I'm still curious if 2K resolution is the most practical resolution for most legacy videos but the main issue leaving me feel underwhelmed & dissatisfied is its speaker that I'm not convinced is better & actually worse sounding at max volume than the Note2 so I had to keep it at least 1-3 levels below max depending on the recording I was listening to.
Interested in more discussion of the Note4 speaker from owners-testers compared to Note2.:highfive:
Note 4 Speaker Quality
I have a Note 2 and just upgraded to the Note 4.
I have compared both with the same file in Sound Player and could not detect Note 4 being louder.
Slightly sad that in 2014 Samsung hasn't added stereo speakers yet.
harb2 said:
I have a Note 2 and just upgraded to the Note 4.
I have compared both with the same file in Sound Player and could not detect Note 4 being louder.
Slightly sad that in 2014 Samsung hasn't added stereo speakers yet.
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Please try more than one file, watch various identical YouTube videos (e.g. movie trailers, music, tech reviews) & comment on quality-volume levels. The Note4 sounded louder but terrible at max volume vs Note2 that typically sounds good at all volumes but the environment was loud & included at times three Note4's blasted at once so not the best test environment.
I just comment the following at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYwfonN2hM
Thanks for this video Michael but anyone who has heard the Note4 speaker knows it's better than the terrible Note3 speaker which isn't saying much..the comparison has to include the solid Note2 speaker & showing how the Note2 can typically sound good at max volume while the Note4 sounds terrible on max volume sadly. Most markets including US (where it's only available to demo in BestBuy-not purchase until Oct 17th), we haven't had the chance to test extensively the Note2 speaker vs the Note4 which frankly is the more common upgrade scenario (& people including myself refused to upgrade to the Note3 because the speaker was so inferior to the Note2) & we'd greatly appreciate if you compare to Note2 speaker. If the Nexus 6 rumors prove true likely next week then it may be as fast as the Note4 (with a larger 5.9 QHD screen yet ~same size) with dual stereo front facing speakers & Android L at a significantly lower cost so please do the test vs Note2, if it's as good as the Note2 & just have to keep it away from max volume many would upgrade given the pen & other enhancements but if the Note4 speaker is actually worse than the Note2 speaker people may have to look to the Nexus 6 until the Note5 catches up. Please compare the Note4 speaker to the Note2 speaker. -Thnx
BTW, I know The Daily Note YouTube Channel has the Note2 to compare it to: " *Note 2 Tips & Tricks Table of Contents: http://tinyurl.com/b64yfs2 " & hope it didn't neglect to compare The Note2 speaker because it would make the Note4 look like a downgrade..still have my fingers crossed that the Note4 speaker isn't a downgrade from the Note2 speaker..
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Moto...e-screen-size-is-questioned-no-longer_id61536
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...-battery-dual-front-facing-speakers-and-more/
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Nexus 6 dual speaker photo
nvm..
SMARTPHONEPC said:
Also noticed the iPhone 6 no longer has 2 speakers like in the iPhone 5s rather one smaller speaker at the bottom in the new thinner iPhones that seemed unimpressive but don't remember distortion at loud volumes like with the Note 4 so would recommend staying away from those louder volume settings when avoidable in the Note4.
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Pretty sure the 5s also has only 1 speaker. Sure it has 2 seperate speaker grills at the bottom...but if you cover one of them....the sound doesn't change at all.
SiNJiN76 said:
Pretty sure the 5s also has only 1 speaker. Sure it has 2 seperate speaker grills at the bottom...but if you cover one of them....the sound doesn't change at all.
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True that the image at https://www.apple.com/iphone-5s/specs/ suggests the larger grill is for the built-in speaker while the other smaller grill is actually for the microphone but sadly that doesn't translate to the Note4 having a pleasing speaker to match its pleasing screen. I'd be satisfied if it matched the Note2 from 2 years ago but I'm not convinced it does as it definitely sounds terrible at higher-max volumes while the Note2 doesn't. Hoping to hear from people who upgraded to the Note4 from the Note2 for their perspective but if the Note4 had a better speaker I wouldn't be so interested in the Nexus6 expected to be announced on 10/15.
I returned my note 4 speaker was horrible whilst it was louder than note 3 as it was back firing it sounded lower when watching stuff going to get a nexus 6 never going samsung again till they fix their speakers otherwise was a nice phone.
blair287 said:
I returned my note 4 speaker was horrible whilst it was louder than note 3 as it was back firing it sounded lower when watching stuff going to get a nexus 6 never going samsung again till they fix their speakers otherwise was a nice phone.
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I did the same! Ordered it direct from Samsung on the Monday,, they had mine back by Thursday . I lodged a complaint, was told it would reach the right people.
I am incensed that Samsung released the Note 4 with such an embarrassingly bad speaker. It's awful. Even my Note 3 sounds wonderful compared to it!
I tried many players, none could save it.. It's gone back.
Did you state speaker quality as your reason for return as well?
If those bafoons used the Note 2 speaker the 4 would be a killer phone, you made a mistake there Samsung.